Electric coupler



Feb. 14, 1928.

H. E. VAN DORN ELECTRIC CUPLER Filed May 9, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. E. VAN DORN Feb. 14, 1928.

ELECTRIC COUPLER Filed May 9. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z Z lzzfenf'o MZ@ Feb. 14, 192s. 1,659,551

1 1. E. VAN DoRN v ELECTRIC COUPLER Filed May 9. 1921 :5 sheets-sheet 3 Patented Feb. 14, 1928.

uuiTEo srA'trEs HERBERT E. `VAN DORN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC COUPLER.

Application filed May 9,

automatically coupling together a large number of train circuits on one railway car with those on an adjacent ear. A. further object ofx the present invention is to produce a simple and novel electric coupler ini which a large number of contacts may be caused to make perfect ,electricall connection with the contacts of a co-operating coupler and maintain such connection under the usual conditions encountered in railway service.

A, further object of the present invention is to produce a simple and novel' electric coupler for railwayveliicles in which the contact members are ,electually housed when the coupler is in `uncoupled condition, the housing being automatically opened during the act of coupling to an extent suflicient to permit the co-operating contacts to engage with each other.

The various features loit novelty whereby my invention is characterized will herein-- after be pointed out `with particularity n the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and ,of its objects and` advantages, reference may be had to thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan vieri of a coupler ar *anged in accordance with the preferred form of my invention, some of the movableparts with-in the housing being shown in dotted lines, and the Ycoupler being in its uncoupled condition; v

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the ,coupler asit appears in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section following two` different planes as indicated approximately by line 3-3 of Fig- 2, the parts being shown in the positions which they Voccupy When in coupled relation `to another coupler;

Fig. l is a section taken approximately on line ill of Fig. 3;

l Fig. n :is a side elevation of the coupler in the condition in which it appears` in Fig. 3, the outer casing being shown in section; and y y n Fig. 6 is a section taken approximately on line 6-6 of Fig. 1. i

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a flat, shallow casing open `at the front end and thebottom and closed on the other four sides..` The bottom of the `casing is closed by means of a detachable plate, 2,

1921. Serial No. 467,798.

fastened in place by means ofscrews, 3, or the like. The front end of the casingV is adapted to be closed by a door, 4, having rearwardly-extending sides or flan es, 5, at the end, the door with its anges tting be.- tvveen the side Walls of thepcasing. The door is attached to the casing by means of snitable trunnions, 6, 6,` passing through the Wings or flanges, 5, and the side walls of the casing, thus permitting the door to Swing from the closed position shown in Fig. 6 to the open position shown in Fig. 5; the side flanges or Wings being provided with slots, 7,

into which the front end of the closing plate, i

2, for the bottom of the easing projects when thedoor is swung open. The door is normally held closed by means of a springpressed rod, 8, slidably mounted in a suit-` able bearing, 9, in the rear Wall 4of the easing behind one of the flanges or Wings of the door; there being a spring, 10, surrounding the rod and bearingat its front `end against a collar or shoulder, 11, fixed upon the rod and at its rear end against the stationary bearingmember 9.'Y The spring 10 is placed under an initial tension Such that, when `tree to do so, it forces the rod `8 for# ward far enough to bold the door in its closed position with suflicient pressure to prevent the door from chattering.

Within the casing is a smaller auxiliary casing, 12,` also open at the front end and having alarge opening, 13,` in the bottom; this opening beingat some distance from the front end `and being normally closed by means of a detachable plate, 14, held in place by scre\vs,.15, or the like. The auxiliary casing is mounted in such a manner that it lcanmove longitudinally in the main casing, Without having capacity forimovement in any other direction. This may conveniently be accomplished by providing the auxiliary casing with a series `of upwardlyprojecting` ears, 16, there being shown :tour such ears projecting upwardly from the top of the` auxiliary casing near the four corners there of; and fixing Within the main cas-ing a pair of guide rods, 17, 17, each `of Whichextends through two of the ears, the guiderods being parallel with each other and with the longitudinal axis ofthe coupler. Projecting from therear end of' the auxiliary casing isk a large tube or conduit, 18, which passes through the rear wall of the main casing and a serves to carry the conductors or cables, not

shown, into the interior of the coupler. The conduit, 18, is made long enough so that it will at no time pass entirely into the main casing, thus preventing the conductors or cables from being rubbed against any part of the main casing as the auxiliary easing moves back and forth.

The auxiliary casing carries the contacts which are normally housed within the main casing but may be projected therefrom after the door is opened, so as to engage with similar contar-ts in another coupler. ln the arrangement shown, there are three rows of contacts arranged one above the other, each row containing eleven individual contacts. The contacts are yieldingly held in a body ef insulating material fitting within the front end of the auxiliary casing, each contact being adapted to move longitudinally to a limited extent independently of the other contacts. The body of insulating` material in which the contacts are meunted is cenven iently divided into a series of individual blocks along vertical longitudinal planes passing through the longitudinal axes of the contacts and thus permitting the body of insulating material to be made up out of a comparatively large number of .similar molded blocks so shaped that when they are laid against each other there will be formed between each two consecutive blocks the proper chambers to receive three of the contacts. In the arrangement shown, each contact comprises an approximately square elongated head,20, arranged upon the front end of a cylindrical stem, 21. rlhe rear end of each stem is screw threaded and carries one or more nuts, 22, adapted te serve asa. stop to limit the forward movement of the contact relatively to the supporting body of insu" lating material. An additional nut or nuts, 23, on the extreme rear end of each of the stems serves the purpose of clamping` the end of a wire or other conductor upon the stem. Each of the insulating blocks, 2l, is

' provided in its opposite side faces with recesses so shaped that each recess forms with the corresponding recess in an adjacent block a chamber, 25, in which one of the square heads of a contact piece may slidably fit, this -chamber being considerablylonger than of said heads so as to permit a spring, 26, to be placed behind the head around the stem attached thereto; the spring tending constantly to project the head forwardly as far as the nut 22 on the reail enel of the stem will permit. rlhe said recesses further pro* duce a cylindrical passage or hole, Q?, extending out through the rear of the body of insulating` material and having a diameter such that the cylindrical Vstem of the contact will fit slidably in the same. In order to prevent the conductors attached to the different rows of contacts from accidentally coming into engagement with eaih other l pre- The stems on the contacts in the three rows are correspondingly proportioned so that a conductor which hangs vertically from any one of the contacts is clear of the rear end of the contact or contacts below the same. there there are eleven contacts in each row, there will be ten similar blocks of insulating material, together with two end blocks, 28 and 29, similar to each other but having grooves or recesses in only one face thereof. All of the blocks are preferably flanged at the top and bottom, at the front end, as indicated at 30, so as to limit their entrance into the auxiliary casing. The blocks are preferably fastened into a single body by means of a bolt, 50, passing through the same. After the blocks have been assembled in the auxiliary casing they may be fastened thereto in any suitable way as, for example, by placing a plastic filler between the same and the side walls of the casingl as in- 'dieated at 31, and by a bolt, 5l, passing Ythrough the same and through the auxiliary casing.

Normally the auxiliary casing, which may be called the contact carrier, cccupies the positions illustrated in Figs, l and 6, being held in that position by means of a spring, 32, arranged between the front wall of the main casing and an ear, 33, projecting upwardly from the rear end of the Contact carrier. This spring is conveniently mounted on a stationary rod, 34, fixed at its ends in the front and rear wall of the main casing and passing freely through the ear 33. 1rWhen a coupling is to be made between two of my improved couplers, the door at the front of the main casing must be opened and the contact carrier must be projected foi'- wardly against the resistance ,ofl the spring 32. The door may conveniently be opened by the movement of the contact carrier itself, by causing the Contact carrier normally to position itself so far back in the main casing that it is able to move forward, in the act of coupling, through an appreciable distance before the'door is fully opened. To this end l have placed on one side of the contact carrier a lug, 35, which projects laterally far enough and at the proper elevation to permit it to engage with the rear edge, 36, of a portion of one of the wings or flanges, 5, lying above the pivotal axis of the door. rlhe parts are so proportioned that when the movable contact carrier starts forward from its position of rest as indicated in Fig. 6, the lug, 35, strikes against the edge, 86, on the door, swinging the door downwardly into its open position against the .tensiono'f the spring, 10, Whiehnormally holds the door closed. `Thefparts are also so 1 proportioned i that after the door has vbeen `fully opened andthe movable contact carrier projected forwardly to "itsicoupling position, the lug willlie directly over the edge, B6, which then-occupiesa horizontal `position so thatthe thrust-thereof` against the lug dueto the tendency of the `spring 10-to close thedoor, is lvertical,namely at i is` noty transmitted te the actuating orI holding means `tor the contact carrier. n Itwill be seen thatwhen-'the contact carrier is in its retracted position, the door maybe opened `and closed `manually without atteeting the con- Y 'tact carrier, thus permitting3 the contacts to beexaminedand inspected at will.

ward intola couplingpositionsufficient pressure must be applied to overcome thetenson ot' the `spring, 10, `which holds the door closed and'ot' the spring,`32, which tends to hold the contact carrier retracted. Aitor the door hasbeen fully opened, the resistance of the spring 10is eliminated so i'ar asfthe actuating-means for the contact carrier isconcerned However, l' prefer to mount the couplerin such away that after the contacts of two 4cofoperating couplers have been `brought linto engagement `with each othertheywillibe'shifted moreror less transverselyof each-other so as to" secure a sliding engagement which "keeps the working faces of `the contacts clean n insures perfect electrical connection. It is therefore necessary for the actuating means yorthecontact Carrierito overcome theresistance of the springs, Q6, behind the contacts in order to permitthe contacts; to be pressed back and insure `that the contacts f of eachpairo'f ,co-operating cont-acts will be in engagement with eachother and J thus make-the wiping action effective. This may conveniently be accom lished by providing each coupler with a p unger adapted to be engaged by the casing of a `co-operating coupler, the plunger being connected by suitable means, including a strong spring, with the corresponding Contact carrier, the plunger `being given a sufficient range 'of movement to insure thatthe springbetween the saine and the contact carrier willbe stressed `at the end of the coupling operation; and the spring beingstrong enough to overcome the resistance ofthe springfBQ, and of the springs 26. -In other words, the contacts `o'fltwo couplers will be forced into engagement `with each `other "and come to" restbefore theactuating plunger-s cease their movement and therefore the springs bet-Ween the actuating plungersand the contact car'- and riers will bevplacedlander additional com pression or tension, as the `easel may: be, after the i movement of the contacts themselves has ceased. @i course,it1isfnot necessary lthat the' springs behind the individual Leontacts be completely closed dnrnga couplingoperation, but my improved construction pen`- mitsthem to` be closediitdesired. Inutile arrangement-shown, the plunger, 4l), is lo` cated toward one1 side i of the `mainl casing, projecting through the front wall of. the? iat#` ter, land movable inthe longitudinal direc tion. `The inner end of theplunger is at@` tached by means of a link, 4l,i`to one endviot a ilever, 42, pivotally connected between its endsrto `thetopiwall of `themain casingLas;

indicated at The freeend of the lever 42 liesbehind a spring cushion Whichibears at its `front end against an upwardlypro`-` `jecting flange, 44, on the contact carrier.` This vspring cushion may conveniently fconn v"'ilVhenthe contactcarrier is moved for?"` i sist `ot" ai'strong compression spring, .45, loosely `surrounding a rod, w46, izextending throughtheiliange, 44, and provided at its iront end with a head, I47, 'whiclrpreventsit` `rod in engagement with the rear end ot' the spring; and the head, 48p, engagingvwith the free end oi' the actuating lever.; YlnFig. 3 the parts are shown inthe positionswhich theyoccupy at the endfoiai coupling opel-af tion, the spring, 45,'lbeing underccunpres-` sion, `while in dotted lines Jin` iFig. lgthe` `parts are shown in their normal retracted positions. i Y r 1 llt desirablelthat the contactcarrier be brought to` rest at a definite pointin its for- Ward projection before the actu-ating plunger has been completely prcssedback, thus permittingthe spring, 45, to `becompressed andholdthe carrier firmlylin place while the dsprings 'behind the contacts are con` pressed. This mayconveniently beacconiplished by `permitting the flange, "44, on the contact carrier to engage with a shoulder, 49, (see Fig. 6) on the casing when the carrier=` reaches its extreme forward position.

The relative lateral movement between two couplers may conveniently be obtained by attaching them'underneath car couplers oi' the type illustrated in my prior lPatent No. 1,344,780, in which provi-sion lis made for bringing about a relative lat-eral movement between two `car couplers toward the `end of a` couplingoperation.

1t will thus be seen that Ihave produced a `simple andxoompact:coupler which is nors mally, when `not in coupled relation to anllo las

other coupler, `substantially sealed :against front end of the auxiliary easing and proportioning the parts so that the auxiliary casings of two couplers in coupled relation will lit against each other so as to make a tight joint through which water and dirt cannot penetrate; which will automatically open to expose the contacts' in the act of coupling; and which may readilybe opened manually both at the front and at t-he bottom when access is desired to the interior for inspection, repairs or other purposes.

While I have illustrated and 'desrribed with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited Yto the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to `cover all forms and arrangements which come within the terms employed in the delinitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim: Y

1. In a coupler, a casing open at the front end, a swinging door large enough to extend completely across said open end for closing said open end, a springacting on said door in a direction tending to hold the same closed, a contact carrier mounted in said casing and adapted to be moved from a position housed within the casing behind said door to a forward position in which the contacts project through said open end, a laterally-projecting lug on said contact carrier, and a part on said door in position to be engaged by said lug to cause the door to swing into its open position as said contact carrier is moved forward.

Y 2. In a coupler, a casing open at the front end, a swinging door large enough to extend completely across said open end for closing said open end, a spring acting on said door in a direction tending to holdthe same closed, a contact carrier mounted in said casing and adapted to be moved from a position housed within the casing behind said door to a forward position in which the contacts project through said open end, a laterallyprojecting lug on said contact carrier, and a part on said door in position to be engaged by said lug to cause the door to swing into its open position as said contact carrier is movedv forward, said part being so positioned with respect to the pivotal axis of the door that the thrust thereof on said lug when the contact carrier is in its forward position, is in Aa direction transverse to the direction of travel of the contact carrier.

3. In a coupler, a casing open at the front end, a contact carrier arranged within said casing, a plurality of contacts mounted at the front end of said carrier, springs behind said contacts tending to hold them in their yfor-v ward positions relatively to the carrier, a springV tending to hold said carrier in a retracted position in the casing, an actuator for said carried` adapted to move the latter forwardly and cause the contacts to project at the front end of the casing, and a spring between said actuator and said carrier of a strength at least as greatas the combined strength of all of the other springs. f

4r.. Ina coupler, a casing open at the front end, a Contact carrier arranged within saidV casing, a plurality of contacts mounted at the front end of said carrier, springs behind said contacts tending to hold them Yin their forward positions relatively to the carrier, a spring tending to hold said carrier in a retr: cted position in the casing, a plunger slidahly mounted in the casing andnormal-` ly projecting beyond thefront endofv the same in position to be engaged by the front end ofthe casing of a Vco-operating coupler, a lever extending transversely of the casing within the saine and pivotally supported between its ends thereby, a connection between one end of said lever and said plunger, anda one above the other in said body of insula-` ting material, springs behind said contacts tending to hold them thrust forward, said body of insulating material being divided into individual blocks along vertical planes defining the longitudinal axes of said contacts, and each of the intermediate blocks having recesses formed in the sides thereof and registering with the recesses in the adjacent blocks to form seats orbearings for said contacts. i

6. In a coupler, a main casing having a detachable bottom, and an auxiliary casing slidably mounted therein, contacts supported in the front end of the auxiliary casing in such a manner as to leave a free space in the auxiliary casing behind the contacts7 said auxiliary casing having a detachable bottom portion below said space, and a conduit for conductors lixed to the rear end of the auxiliary casing and extending slidably through the rear wall of the main casing, said conduit communicating at its front end with said space. n

7. In a coupler, a casing open at the front end, a swinging door for closing lsaid open end, a spring acting on said door in a direction tending to hold the same closed, a contact carrier mounted in said casing and adapted to be moved from a position housed withinthe casing to a forward position in which the contacts project through said open end, a laterally-projecting lug on said Contact carrier, and a part on said door in position to be engaged by said lug to cause the door to swing into its open position as los lli)

fil

said contact carrier is moved forward, said lug being so positioned onV the contact carrier that it lies sufficiently remote Jfrom said part-on the door when the contact carrier is retracted to permit the door to be manually opened. i

8. In a coupler, a casing open at the front end, a contact carrier arranged within said casing, avplurality of Contacts mounted at the front end of said carrier, springs behind i said contacts tending to hold them in their forward positions` relatively to the carrier, a spring tending to hold said carrier in a retracted position in the casing, an actuator for said carrier adapted to move the latter forwardly and cause the contacts to project at the front end of the casing,` a spring between said actuator and said carrier of a strength at least as great as the combined strength of all of the other springs, and a stop on the casing for arresting the forward movement of the contact carrier before'tlie actuator has completed its movement in the direction to project the contact carrier for wardly.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

HERBERT VAN DORN. 

